What do patients care most about when choosing a doctor?

What’s most important when choosing a doctor? RealSelf asked that question of more than 900 men and women actively researching an elective cosmetic procedure.

The resounding answer: seeing a doctor’s reviews online. 59 percent picked “online reviews for the doctor on other websites” as one of the top three most important factors they consider when choosing a doctor. The second most popular choice? Seeing patient reviews on a doctor’s own website.

Reviews far outranked other factors often assumed to be critical to patients including how quickly a person can book an appointment, how close the office is to home, and even the practice’s cleanliness.

What mattered least? It’s a tie between the convenience of office hours and how modern and professional a doctor’s website looks. Only 5 percent of voters thought those attributes were important enough to be a top three consideration when picking a doctor.

These results were consistent across all procedure types — invasive, non-invasive, dental, and bariatric surgery.

The takeaway: More than anything else, potential patients want the thoughts and opinions of people who’ve been there, done that.

[…] not about having slick features — the fanciest website in the world won’t convince aesthetic consumers to choose you — but rather providing an experience that helps visitors as they pursue their aesthetic […]